Brown Rice Protein
Also called rice protein, brown rice protein, rice protein isolate, rice protein powder, Oryzatein.
Best grade D across 4 graded outcomes Other Last checked
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The short answer
From 6 sourcesRice protein is a dairy-free protein powder. In 24 trained men, 48 g of rice protein isolate after workouts matched whey for lean mass and strength gains over 8 weeks. In 70 frail or pre-frail older adults, rice and whey did equally well, with fewer gut symptoms on rice. A pea-rice blend raised blood amino acids less than whey.
Quick pick
From a partner brand · paid link
Nutricost Organic Rice Protein Powder, 2 lb
from HerbsPro
Label: Organic rice protein (the only ingredient).
Best for trying one bottle: $28.95 one-time (checked Oct 15, 2026).
Every graded outcome on this page
4 rows · line = participants- DGrade DGait speed, grip strength and physical performance in frail older adultsFrailtyn 70
- DGrade DGut microbiota with protein supplementsGut microbiotan 45
- DGrade DBody composition and strength vs whey with resistance trainingMuscle and strengthn 24
- DGrade DBlood amino acids and appetite after a pea-rice blendAmino acids and appetiten 10
Key facts
- What it is
- Protein isolated from rice; the trial product was a rice protein isolate (Oryzatein)1
- Versus whey, trained men (24)
- 48 g after training: lean mass, strength and power rose equally with rice or whey over 8 weeks1
- Versus whey, older adults (70)
- 2 x 20 g a day with exercise for 6 months: gait speed, grip and physical performance did not differ2
- Gut symptoms
- Whey caused about twice as many gut symptoms as rice in older adults2
- Blood amino acids (10 adults)
- A pea-rice blend gave lower essential amino acid levels than whey and no more than pea alone3
What it is
Rice protein is a plant protein powder isolated from (usually brown) rice grains and sold as a dairy-free alternative to whey.
How it works
EstablishedRice protein supplies essential amino acids for muscle protein building, but less leucine per gram than whey: 48 g of the trial rice isolate held about 3.8 g leucine vs 5.5 g in whey. At high enough doses, results matched whey.1
Forms, side by side
2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.
Brown Rice Protein forms compared
2 forms| 2 forms | Rice protein isolate or concentrate powder | Pea-rice protein blend |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption in people | Not measured for rice alone; a pea-rice blend raised blood essential amino acids less than whey.3 | Essential amino acids rose less than with whey and no more than with pea alone over 240 minutes.3 |
| GI tolerance | Fewer gut symptoms than whey (about half) in 70 older adults over 6 months.2 | Not reported in the abstract.3 |
| Studied for | Muscle and strength with training; frailty in older adults | Blood amino acids and appetite after one dose |
- Rice protein isolate or concentrate powder
- Pea-rice protein blend
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
Trial map
4 graded outcomes, largest study first4 graded outcomes: 1 mixed, 3 no effect. The largest, a 2021 pilot trial of 70 people on gait speed, grip strength and physical performance in frail older adults, found no effect.
1Gait speed, grip strength and physical performance in frail older adults
No effect · Grade D · Pilot RCT, 70 people, 2021
Community-dwelling pre-frail and frail older adults (mean age 73.34)
Dose, result and source| Outcome | Found | People | Study | Who was studied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gait speed, grip strength and physical performance in frail older adults | No effect | 70 | Grade D · Pilot RCT, 2021 | Community-dwelling pre-frail and frail older adults (mean age 73.34) |
| Gut microbiota with protein supplements | Mixed | 45 | Grade D · RCT, 2026 | Elite football players doing resistance training, randomized to whey, pea, rice or a plant-protein blend |
| Body composition and strength vs whey with resistance training | No effect | 24 | Grade D · RCT, 2013 | Resistance-trained college-aged men |
| Blood amino acids and appetite after a pea-rice blend | No effect | 10 | Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2024 | Healthy young adults (4 men, 6 women) |
Every graded row
4 rowsShowing 4 of 4 outcomes. Human trials only.
DGrade DGait speed, grip strength and physical performance in frail older adultsFrailtySame as whey; fewer gut symptomsPilot RCT
n 70 · 2021
No effect No outcome differed between rice and whey (p > 0.05) apart from lower total energy and fat intake with whey; whey caused about two-fold more gut symptoms.
- Design
- Pilot RCT, n = 70, 2021
- Population
- Community-dwelling pre-frail and frail older adults (mean age 73.34)
- Form
- Rice protein vs whey protein supplement, with a multi-component exercise program
- Dose
- 2 x 20 g of protein a day
- Duration
- 6 months
- Source
- Reference 2 · PubMed 33691612 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DGut microbiota with protein supplementsGut microbiotaDiversity unchangedRCT
n 45 · 2026
Mixed Microbial diversity stayed stable in all groups; rice protein was associated with more taxa predicted to make butyrate from succinate, while whey, pea and the blend shifted other groups of bacteria.
- Design
- RCT, n = 45, 2026
- Population
- Elite football players doing resistance training, randomized to whey, pea, rice or a plant-protein blend
- Form
- Rice protein isolate vs whey concentrate, pea isolate and a plant blend
- Dose
- 30 g a day
- Duration
- 8 weeks
- Source
- Reference 5 · PubMed 41829938 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DBody composition and strength vs whey with resistance trainingMuscle and strengthSame gains as wheyRCT
n 24 · 2013
No effect Lean body mass, muscle mass, strength and power rose and fat mass fell in both groups, with no condition-by-time differences between rice and whey (p > 0.05).
- Design
- RCT, n = 24, 2013
- Population
- Resistance-trained college-aged men
- Form
- Rice protein isolate (Oryzatein) vs whey protein isolate
- Dose
- 48 g after each training session
- Duration
- 8 weeks, 3 sessions a week
- Source
- Reference 1 · PubMed 23782948 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DBlood amino acids and appetite after a pea-rice blendAmino acids and appetiteLower amino acids than wheyCrossover RCT
n 10 · 2024
No effect Whey raised essential amino acids more than the pea-rice blend (P < 0.01); the blend did not differ from pea alone (P = 0.67), and appetite hormones, ratings and energy intake did not differ between treatments.
- Design
- Crossover RCT, n = 10, 2024
- Population
- Healthy young adults (4 men, 6 women)
- Form
- Pea-rice protein blend vs pea isolate vs whey
- Dose
- 0.3 g per kg of body weight, single dose
- Duration
- 240 minutes after one dose
- Source
- Reference 3 · PubMed 39387207 (opens PubMed)
What the numbers add up to
Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.
No placebo, only whey
Gentler on the gut than whey
In 70 older adults over 6 months, whey caused about twice as many gut symptoms as rice protein.2
Studied doses
Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.
Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.
Doses studied in human trials
Interactions and safety
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
What Brown Rice Protein meets
0 cited rows 1 tested togetherMedicines 0
No medicine rows in our sources.
Supplements and foods 1
- Tested together in a graded trial
Choose a medicine or supplement above to read its cited rows here.
Also cited: 1 tested together
Pea ProteinPea Protein page
Tested together
Blood amino acids and appetite after a pea-rice blend. Graded on the Brown Rice Protein page; tested together is not a claim that they work better together.
Interactions
0 agentsNone found in our sources.
Check with what you take
Kept on this device onlyAdd what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Brown Rice Protein and your picks, and between your picks.
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Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Brown Rice Protein.
Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.
Who should be careful
3 groups- Arsenic and heavy metals
- Arsenic in the environment can be taken up by plants and enter foods. The FDA monitors arsenic in foods, including dietary supplements, and has run arsenic sampling and a risk assessment for rice and rice products, but its arsenic action levels cover apple juice and infant rice cereal, not protein powders.6
- Medicines and surgery
- No interactions specific to rice protein are documented in our sources. NCCIH advises that supplements may interact with medications or pose risks before surgery, and to tell your health care providers about everything you use.4
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children
- NCCIH notes that many dietary supplements have not been tested in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children.4
How to read the label
What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.
How to read the label
3 checksCompare grams of protein
The trial that matched whey used 48 g of rice protein isolate per session, a large serving; check the protein grams per scoop, not the scoop size.1
Leucine is lower
In the 2013 trial, 48 g of rice isolate held about 3.8 g leucine vs 5.5 g in the same amount of whey.1
Heavy-metal testing
Arsenic in the environment can enter rice and other plant foods, and no FDA arsenic action level covers protein powders; a certificate of analysis or a third-party heavy-metal test is how a product can show its levels.6
Where to buy Brown Rice Protein
Products from brands we partner with that contain Brown Rice Protein. Check the amount per serving against the doses studied above, and the label for other ingredients.
Brown Rice Protein products from partner brands
1 product Paid links · we earn a commission- Quick pickHerbsProNutricost Organic Rice Protein Powder, 2 lb
Organic rice protein (the only ingredient); label: 1 scoop (23 g) gives 20 g protein. The older-adult trial used 20 g twice a day
$28.95one-timeChecked Oct 15, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.
Common questions
7 answersDoes rice protein help older adults?
In 70 frail or pre-frail older adults doing exercise, 20 g twice a day of rice or whey protein gave the same results for gait speed, grip strength and physical performance over 6 months.2
How much rice protein was studied?
Does rice protein interact with medicines?
No interactions specific to rice protein are documented in our sources. NCCIH advises telling your health care providers about every supplement you use.4
Is rice protein as good as whey for muscle?
In 24 trained men, 48 g of rice protein isolate after workouts produced the same gains in lean mass, strength and power as 48 g of whey over 8 weeks. The trial was small and had no placebo.1
Is a pea-rice blend better than pea alone?
In 10 young adults, a pea-rice blend did not raise blood essential amino acids more than pea alone, and both stayed below whey.3
Does rice protein contain arsenic?
Possibly. Arsenic in the environment can be taken up by plants and enter foods, and the FDA has tested rice and rice products for it. Its arsenic action levels cover apple juice and infant rice cereal, not protein powders, and the trials on this page did not measure it.6
Is rice protein easier to digest than whey?
In the older-adult trial, whey caused about twice as many gut symptoms as rice protein.2
Sources
6 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.
Sources cited on this page
6 sources- 1The effects of 8 weeks of whey or rice protein supplementation on body composition and exercise performance.RCT Nutr J, 2013 · PMID 23782948
- 2A Randomized Controlled Pilot Exercise and Protein Effectiveness Supplementation Study (EXPRESS) on Reducing Frailty Risk in Community-Dwelling Older People.Pilot RCT J Nutr Gerontol Geriatr, 2021 · PMID 33691612
- 3Postprandial plasma aminoacidemia and indices of appetite regulation following pea-rice blend, pea isolate and whey protein ingestion in healthy young adults.Crossover RCT Br J Nutr, 2024 · PMID 39387207
- 4Using Dietary Supplements WiselyFact sheet National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2019 · nccih.nih.gov
- 5Supplementation with Animal- and Plant-Derived Proteins Modulates the Structure and Predicted Metabolic Potential of the Gut Microbiota in Elite Football Players.RCT Nutrients, 2026 · PMID 41829938
- 6Arsenic in Food and Dietary Supplements (content current as of March 5, 2024)Fact sheet U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2024 · fda.gov
What changed
Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.
Change log
2 entries| Date | Change | Who and why |
|---|---|---|
| evidence, studied doses, who should be careful, label guide, FAQ | Searched PubMed for rice protein trials through 2026. Added a 2026 8-week trial in football players comparing rice, whey, pea and a blend on gut bacteria (PMID 41829938, grade D). Added an arsenic note, a label-guide step and a FAQ from the FDA page on arsenic in food and dietary supplements. No rice-protein interactions are documented in NCCIH or FDA sources, so the interactions list stays empty and a FAQ says so. Summary trimmed to 60 words. | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z page audit |
| all | Initial editorial evidence review. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title, year, journal; none retracted) and each cited abstract read; numbers taken from the abstracts (2013 trial: funder Increnovo LLC, the Axiom Foods Oryzatein isolate and leucine content from the PMC full text). All three trials compare against other proteins, shown as no difference (grade D). No rice-protein page exists on our approved safety sources, so safety rows use only NCCIH general supplement guidance. Where to buy: Nutricost Organic Rice Protein Powder (checked 2026-10-15). | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page |
Supplement & Nutrient Encyclopedia. Educational information only; it is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Statements about supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA.